Line tightener



Feb. 28, 1923. v 1,661,045

F. J. LEE I LINE TIGHTENER Filed June 18, 1927 WITNESSES INVENTOR AITORNEYS out in the claims.

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

'IUNITEDSTAT'ES FRANCIS JOSEPH LEE, OF BRDDKLYN, NEW YORK.

LINE TIGHTENER.

Application filed Junelfl, 1927 Serial No. 199,748.

The present invention is concerned with a line tightener which may have a wide range of utility, but which finds one of lts preferred fields of use as a tightening device for clotheslines.

An ob ect of the mvention 18 to provide a tightener of this character in which the line-engaging element is gravitationally operated, so that there will be no need for manually swinging levers or adjusting parts in order to clamp the device in engagement with the running end of a line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a line tightener so arranged that tightening of a line may be effected by simply pulling the running end of it, and without need for disengaging any line clamping means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a line tightener so constructed that it may be readily manually grasped with one hand while the line is pulled with another, and may be conveniently operated from a window or other awkward location where clothesline pulleys are used.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a line ti htener of simple, practical construction, which will be rugged, durable and eflicient in use, and well suited to the requirements of convenient manipulation and economical manufacture.

WVith the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the line tightener in line engaging position.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

The line tightener includes a body portion which may be conveniently bentfrom a single sheet of metal. This body portion is of general triangular shape, the metallic sheet being bent along a line which constitutes the straight top edge 10 of the tightener. Along a; generally arcuate line from one upper corner to an opposite lower corner the free edges of the metallic sheet are soldered, welded or otherwise secured together along a line 11, and a number of lugs or equivalent devices 12 preferably integral with the body provide between them effect-ive finger spaces so that the device may be readily gripped by a user. i

From the opposite upper corner of the body 10, the body extends downwardly at substantially right angles to its top edge, and near the lower portion of the side edge the opposite sides of the body are spaced apart or bifurcated as at 18 in order that an eccentric 14 may be pivotally mounted between them on a pin 15.

The soldered or closed end of the substantially triangular body designated at 11 provides a curved and partially tubular guideway for the running end 16 of a line, the other end 17 of the line being anchored preferably by knotting it through an opening 18 1n the upper square corner of the body.

Preferably integrally connected to the eocentric 1 1 is a handle member 19 acting gravltatlonally to move the eccentric into clamping engagement with the line 16. This eccentric if desired may be provided with comparatively blunt teeth 20 for engaging the line, but such teeth are usually unnecessary.

n It will be observed from Fig. 1 that any attempt to pull the running end of the line through the tightener will simply serve to rotate the eccentric 1 1 on its pivot and jam it more firmly into engagement with the line. WVhen it is desired to take up slack in the line however, the running end 16 may be grasped and pulled downwardly automatically rotating the eccentric about its pivot in a counter-c-loclnvise direction, and when the desired slack has been taken u the eccentric due to the gravity action 0 its handle, and the rotary action of the line attempting to run through it, is automatically returned to line-clamping position.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the.details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. A line tightener including means for anchoring one end of a line, and means for guiding the running end of said line, an eccentric engaging said running end to predisposed well below the line to be tightened.

2. A line tightener including means for anchorlng one end of a line, and means for guiding the running end of said line, an eocentric engaging said running end' to prevent movement or the line in one direction. said eccentric permitting free movement oi the line end in the opposite direction, the tightener being of general triangular shape and hollow formation with its longer edge curved and constituting a guide for the line end, said curved edge having a plurality of 20 exterior lugs defining finger grips.

FRANCIS JOSEPH LEE. 

